Gwyneth Paltrow's Alleged Stalker Found Not Guilty

by Raphael Chestang
2:45 PM PST, February 17, 2016

Photo: Yahoo!

Dante Michael Soiu, the man accused of stalking Gwyneth Paltrow, was found not guilty in court on Wednesday.

The 43-year-old Oscar winner had accused the 66-year-old Columbus, Ohio, native of stalking her over the last 17 years, but Paltrow's recent court testimonies related specifically to new correspondence she said she received from Soiu, which reportedly included messages announcing his intention to marry her, references to her death, pornography, song lyrics and unsolicited gifts.

Soiu pleaded not guilty in the case and the defense denied the prosecutor's pornography claim. Prior to the verdict, Soiu's attorney, Lynda Westlund, told ET that her client has written letters to many other celebrities, who didn't feel threatened.

"We're dealing with a lonely guy who's on supplemental security income, and sits in his apartment in Ohio at his computer and writes letters to Angelina Jolie, Sylvester Stallone, Julia Roberts, President Obama, Michelle Obama," Westlund told ET. "None of it has ever been perceived by anybody else, besides Gwyneth Paltrow, as threatening."

This wasn't the first time Paltrow faced Soiu in court. In 2000, Soiu was committed to a mental institution for six years after a trial about messages he sent to the actress, but was rearrested last year after allegedly contacting the actress once again.